Catalyst eCURE is a 12-week paid research opportunity for select Catalyst students. During the 12-week program students will be mentored by faculty and work with professors and professionals from Cal Tech, UCLA, CSU Long Beach and Cabrillo Beach Aquarium.

Below is the first group of eCURE students as they document and record their work and findings, as well as experiences along the way.

Catalyst is dedicated to increasing success and accelerating the transfer process of targeted under-represented groups majoring in STEM by providing a positive and collaborative environment for academic learning and offering pre-professional opportunities to expand and enhance awareness of the many STEM career options available upon degree completion.

The Chemistry/Biology Studio course is an interdisciplinary curriculum that pairs Biology 10A with Chemistry 1A. Traditionally, Chem 1A has been a prerequisite for Biology 10A, forcing students to take the class separately. This separation makes it difficult for students to make a connection between the two disciplines and unable to understand why they need both.

In the Chemistry/Biology Studio students are enrolled in both courses. The two courses will be taught collaboratively in a block, using a curriculum created by Professor Melissa Harman and Professor Valerie Foster. The goal of this new curriculum is to help students see the relationship between Biology and Chemistry and increase the retention and success for science majors.

The Chemistry/Bio Studio launched in the Spring 2013 semester at PCC.

Click here to view the thoughts, photos and postings of the original 29 students and 2 professors during the pilot semester of the Chem/Bio Studio.

: Fall 2012

Study Jam is a peer-led group study session that provides guided practice of key concepts and skills, making you better prepared for success in your coursework and exams. Study Jam sessions are led by knowledgable students who have successfully completed the course. Currently, Study Jams are offered in Chemistry 1A, Chemistry 1B, and Biology 1A and they are open to all currently enrolled students in the course.

Chem Jam

: Summer 2012

Chem 22 is an Introduction to Chemistry class. Though it is not required for chemistry majors, many students majoring in chemistry must complete the course in order to qualify for Chem 1A (which is the first required course for the major.) Additionally, Chem 22 is taken by several non-chemistry majors in order to satisfy a general education requirement.

Chem Jam was developed in order to help students prepare for Chem 22. Chem Jam was piloted during Summer 2012 and was a 1-week, student-led program that targeted students entering Chem 22 during the Fall 2012 semester. Chem Jam targeted skills and topics traditionally difficult for students in Chem 22. Each day of the program, the 30 attendees patricipated in various activities to improve their chemistry skills and give them extra confidence as they entered Chem 22. Upon completion of Chem Jam, students received a course textbook and an invitation to attend weekly study sessions in the fall semester.

Chem Jam is currently being evaluated and expanded upon for the 2013-2014 school year.

Faculty to Student Mentoring

: Fall 2012

The Faculty-Student Mentoring program targets students who have had a history of struggling in school. The students were invited to join the program, where they were paired with a faculty mentor. The program aims to create a faculty/peer network in order to offer the student more support and target the causes of their past struggles.

First piloted in the Fall 2012 semester, students meet both individually and as a group with their faculty mentor. During these meetings, the faculty mentor has led them in forming study groups with each and other peers and connecting with their professors to get extra resources and support in their classes.

Chem Boost

: Fall 2012

Chemistry 22 is an introduction to chemistry class that many PCC students take prior to enrolling in Chemistry 1A. However, Chem 22 is not a required class. Furthermore, there are many students who come to PCC with enough chemistry knowledge that Chem 22 is unnecessary, but they could still benefit from some chemistry prep prior to starting Chem 1A.

Chem Boost is designed to prepare students who have completed high school chemistry to take Chemistry 1A. Using a faculty-created curriculum, Chem Boost provides students with ten 3-hour sessions (taught over 5 weeks) that targets skills crucial for success in Chem 1A and skills that are traditionally difficult for students. Upon completion of Chem Boost, students are reserved a place in a Chem 1A course for the following semester.

: Spring 2012

Supplemental Instruction (SI) is an academic assistance program that utilizes peer-assisted study sessions. SI sessions are regularly-scheduled, informal review sessions in which students compare notes, discuss readings, develop organizational tools, and predict test items. Students learn how to integrate course content and study skills while working together. The sessions are facilitated by trained “SI leaders”, students who have previously done well in the course and who attend all class lectures, take notes, and act as model students.

Curriculum Development Chem/Bio Studio

: Spring 2012

The Chemistry/Biology Studio course is an interdisciplinary curriculum that pairs Biology 10A with Chemistry 1A. Traditionally, Chem 1A has been a pre-requisite for Biology 10A, forcing students to take the class separately. This separation makes it diffucult for students to make a connection between the two disciplines and unable to understand why they need both.

In the Chemistry/Biology Studio students will enroll in both courses. The two courses will be taught collaboratively in a block, using a curriculum created by PCC Chemistry and Biology professors. The goal of this new curriculum is to help students see the relationship between Biology and Chemistry and increase the retention and success for science majors. Students are currently being enrolled in the new course, which will be piloted in the Spring 2013 semester.

GIS Certificate

: 2012

The GIS Certificate prepares students to apply GIS with a solid theoretical foundation. A diverse range of GIS skills are covered including data capture, spatial & statistical analysis, modeling, and cartography.

The GIS courses take a practical, hands-on approach. Students will not only learn how to use a specific software; they will apply GIS using a variety of projects and methodologies. With a combination of lab exercises, individual projects, and a community-based, collaborative long-term project, students will learn how to plan, design, and execute GIS projects.

: Fall 2012

Pasadena City College Aquaponics has an affinity for volunteer service. Our volunteers are working to meet the needs of their neighborhoods and the community by building aquaponics and rain capture systems that address concerns of water conservation for our area. The aquaponics group is using community outreach and education to spread the message of alternative low-cost conservation efforts. The group is built on organic curriculum developed by student leaders and guided by Professor Erika Catanese under the direction of Dave Douglass, Ph.D.